Difference in the rise of nationalism between Uganda and Tanganyika
Nationalism refers to the rise of consciousness and love for ones country. In Africa it was the desire for independence, self determination and common hatred to all evils associated with colonial rule. In East Africa nationalism was characterized mainly by the rise or formation of political parties such as Uganda People Congress (UPC), Democratic Party and CP in Uganda, KANU and KADU in Kenya and TANU in Tanganyika.[1]
Also nationalism refers to attitude that the members of the nation have when they care about their nationally identity and the actions that the members of the nation take when seeking to achieve or to sustain self determination. Therefore African nationalism refers to opposition to alien control, the consciousness of the belonging to a particular Africa nation (actual or potential) to African in general, pride in the nations culture, traditions, institution and achievements and awareness of common political rights and responsibilities.[2] In general nationalism refers to sentiment based on common cultural characteristics that binds a population and often produces a policy of national independence or separatism.
The following are the background in the rise of nationalism in Uganda and Tanganyika;
Uganda’s approaches to independence were unlike that of most other colonial territories were political parties had been organized to force self-rule or independence from reluctant colonial regime. Whereas this conditions would required local and regional differences to be subordinated to the greater extent goal of winning independence. In Uganda parties were forced to cooperate with one another, with the respect of independence already assured. One of the major parties Uganda Royalist Party- Kabaka Yekka (KY) was even opposed to independence unless its particular separatist was met. Out of Kabaka Yekka other political parties were formed such as Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), Uganda National Movement (UNM), Democratic Party (DP) and Uganda Peoples Union (UPU). But later Uganda People’s congress and Uganda Royalist Party made coalition so as to won majority seats in the national assembly making Uganda to achieve full independence under Milton Obote as the prime minister on 09th October 1962.
As the result of these political parties made by the people in Uganda it led to attain their independence through peaceful means, where in 1963 Kabaka Yekka of Buganda was made the first president of Uganda. In order to build united Uganda there was a need to end up Kabakaship in which 1966 was overthrown and pave the way for Milton Obote to become the president of Uganda in the same year 1966.
Also the road of independence in Tanganyika can be traced back late 1930’s, Tanganyika had experienced three types of political actions none of which was nationalism. There were association such as The Traditional Tanganyika Territory African Civil Servant Association (TTACSA) and Tanganyika African Association (TAA) aimed at legislative council but had no mass support. Tribal politicians like Kiiza of Bukoba rarely had mass support and were concerned with tribal rather than national issues.[3]
Popular resistance expressed on Majimaji in opposition to agriculture regulations, certainly had mass support but did not seek control of legislative council. None of these was the nationalistic movement but they were the elements by which nationalistic movements was created[4]. The beginnings of Tanganyika nationalism were normally associated with the period after Second World War in which mass political parties were formed. Example the transformation of Tanganyika African Association to Tanganyika Africana National Union (TANU) in 1954 and the formation of different parties such as United Tanganyika party (UTP) in 1958 and African National Congress (ANC) in 1958 formed by Zuberi Mtemvu after leaving TANU.
The following are the difference in the rise of nationalism between Uganda and Tanganyika.
Formation of political parties, both in Tanganyika and Uganda from the beginning after 1945 there was formation of political parties. In those political parties formed there were some differences between those formed in Tanganyika and those formed in Uganda. The political parties formed in Tanganyika based on racial and religious ideology. For example Tanganyika United Party (UTP) and African National Congress (ANC) were racial based in the sense that the UTP drew the bulk of its support from the whites, mainly settlers, while ANC was basically an African political party with ideologically bias against Asian and European. And African Muslims National Union of Tanganyika (AMNUT) it was mainly based on religious bases, mainly it draws its support exclusively from Muslims, defending Muslim interest.
But the political parties formed in Uganda were different to those of Tanganyika since they were guided by ethnic ideology. The Uganda National Congress (UNC) and Uganda Royal Party under Kabaka Yekka provide us with typical example of ethnic political parties most of ethnic political parties saved the interest of other strong Kingdoms like Bunyoro, Toro, Ankole and Busoga. Moreover the Democratic Party (DP) represent typical example of parties characterized by religious ideology where most of the membership come from the Catholic intelligentia and its leadership was pre-dominant Catholic.
Also dispersal of population, Tanganyika did not have concentrated populations in competitions’ with one another which in other parts of Africa tended to create potentialities for ethnic cleavages’ and in the same vein wealth and power were not concentrated in the hands of one group. It was the kind of society where leadership could come from any community not necessary backed by its ethnic superiority[5]. Unlike in Uganda where there was concentrated populations in the competition with one another demanding to take part in the government. For example there was jealous among the non Buganda of the special position occupied by the Buganda aristocracy and the chiefs of Ankole and Toro agitated for several years (1919-24) for land holding arrangements similar to those established in Buganda particularly the creation of Mailo land.[6]
Language as one of the factor differentiates the rise of nationalism in Uganda and Tanganyika. During the struggle for independence in East Africa language played a greater role as it was used as a unifying factor among the people. Tanganyika was having lingua franca which unified all Tanganyika’s, thus Kiswahili served as the means to unite all sectors of Tanganyika population. While in Uganda there was no unifying language (lingua franca) which could unify people to struggle for their independence. This pave the way for each region to struggle for independence for their own interest as it was for Kabaka Yekka party.
Another greatest difference was the contradiction among the people. For example in Uganda there was contradiction among the privileged group and unprivileged group. One that was to form the embryo of nationalism was that between the privileged and unprivileged group. The privileged group consisted large of the Christian chiefs, who gained control of land by the Buganda agreement of 1900; the unprivileged were mainly coffee growing peasants. Protest movement began against Christian chiefs this can be illustrated by five main organization; Bataka Federation, The sons of Kitu, The Bataka Party, The Uganda African Farmer Union and the Uganda National Congress.[7] Unlike in Tanganyika were there was no such kind of friction among the people, instead people of different character and culture were come together and fight for their rights. For example when TANU was formed out of TAA in 1954 it managed to spread her idea all over the country because there was no any kind of friction among the people.
Nature of the colonial rule is the another factor which bring differences in the rise of nationalism in Tanganyika and Uganda, Tanganyika was first under the Germany domination who used direct system to govern Tanganyika in which people were directly forced to engage in work, this situation at the beginning made Africans to promote unity so as to fight for their common enemy that’s there was Majimaji resistance and Abushiri resistance. This made people in Tanganyika even after the change of German rule to British rule who used indirect rule under Truest ship territory they were not created tribalism or ethnic among themselves as the result they were able to come together and struggle for independence while in Uganda Africans were under the British rule who used indirect rule from the beginning to the time of struggle for independence, this situation made the Africans even when they were struggling for independence to be affected with ethnic and tribalism as it was created by the British policy of divide and rule.
Despite the differences in the rise of nationalism in Tanganyika and Uganda there were some common reasons which stimulated the rise of nationalism in East Africa. These factors were like emergence of cold war led by United Soviet Socialist Revolution (USSR) in the 1917, who started supporting decolonization in Africa so as to get membership in her socialist camp and the rise of United States of America (USA) as the super capitalist power of the world who started pressurizing capitalist nations to allow decolonization in their colonies.
REFERENCES
Assa, O. (2006). A history of Africa, vol 2. Kisumu: East African Publishers.
Kimambo, I & Temu A. (1969). A history of Tanzania. Nairobi: East African Publishing House
Othiambo, E.S.O et al. (1997). A history of East Africa. London: Longman
[1]Othiambo, E.S.O et al. (1997). A history of East Africa. London: Longman
[2] Assa, O. (2006). A history of Africa, vol 2. Kisumu: East African Publishers. pg 1
[3]Assa, O. (2006). A history of Africa, vol.2. Kisumu: East African Publishers. pg 3
4 Assa, O. (2006). A history of Africa, vol.2. Kisumu: East African Publishers. Pg 4
[5]Ibid pg 53
[6] Ibid pg 62
[7] Ibid pg 63
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